I’m back home and recovering from the disappointment of not completing my trip. Once I returned, I plugged back into school at Western Washington University and have been working on several projects.

1. I’ve been helping to set up the motion capture system in the Biomechanics Lab. Motion capture is a way to capture human movement into a software system where a computer model of the subject can be created to analyze mechanics. Once the model is generated, changes in position, acceleration and velocity of different parts of the model’s body can be calculated to understand the movement. We built a wall-mount system for 4 of the 7 Qualysis 240 motion capture cameras we use and have the other 3 on tripods. We’ve done a motion capture of a kayaker on a kayaking ergometer (SpeedStroke) and are now working on building the model. Model-building and analysis is being done in Visual 3D spftware.

2. I’m trying to better understand how power is applied during the kayak forward stoke. With the help of Jim Shephard from Western’s Engineering Technology department, I’ve learned how to install strain gauges on the shaft of kayak paddles.
The strain gauge will initially be just on the control hand side, just above the hand. It will be wired into a small sending unit that that transmits the data in real time to my laptop in the coach motorboat. The data is available for immediate review and feedback to the athlete and saved for study and analysis back on shore.
Now I’m building calibration stands. The stands will be used to calibrate each paddle. As all kayak paddles are unique, they must be calibrated. To do this, after installing the strain gauge to a paddle shaft, I’ll place the paddle on the calibration stands. For stands, I’m using the base of a roller stand used in the construction industry. These are portable and collapseable and very sturdy. One stand will have a small clamp to hold the shaft at the offside hand position. I’m using the same clam we used for our cameras in the biomechanics lab. The other stand will be positioned at the center of mass for the onside blade. I making a clamp from fiberglass and foam padding that will closely conform to the shape of the paddle and protect it from harm.
Once the paddle is secure in the stand, I’ll hang weights from the shaft at the position of the onside hand. The readings I get from each weight will correlate with a given amount of force resulting in flexion of the paddle shaft as measured by the strain gauge.
This system will be the basis for my thesis. My advisor is Dr. Kathy Knutsen.

3. For my Exercise Physiology class, Dr. Lorrie Brilla has generously allowed be to take the class as an independent study, as it’s not offered until next fall. This will help me finish my degree more quickly. We meet for about 1.5 hours once each week to go over the material and review projects. My class project will be a review of the physiology literature related to canoe/kayak and similar sports, and to develop a training algorithm for canoe/kayak athletic development.

And last, I am very excited that the International Canoe Federation, the world and Olympic governing body for canoe/kayak racing, has asked me to speak on my biomechanics work at their International Coaching Symposium in Warsaw, Poland. They’re flying me over the last week of February to make my presentation. Not only do I have the opportunity to share my research, I will be able to hear the other presentations and learn lots of new information from some of the top canoe/kayak researchers and coaches in the world. It’s a great opportunity.